Choices of Love
by Zanza8
Summary: Just a very brief moment with Eliot, Hardison, and Parker after The Rundown Job


Eliot limped away from the ambulance, dropping the crutch and holding onto Hardison. Parker hovered on his other side, and they made it about a hundred feet before he stopped. "I gotta sit down."

There were no benches nearby and Hardison eased his friend to the ground, settling him against a tree. "I really think you need to go to the hospital."

Eliot rested his head against the bark and closed his eyes. "I told you, I don't do hospitals."

"Doesn't it hurt?" asked Parker.

The hitter opened his eyes and looked at her steadily. "Yes, Parker, it hurts."

"Then why won't you go to the hospital?"

"Parker." Hardison took her hand. "Go find us a ride, okay? Something with a big back seat." She looked rebellious and the hacker gave her a little push. "It's all right, baby. We'll be right here."

"Fine." The blonde thief bent down and touched Eliot on his good shoulder, so lightly he barely felt it, then stalked off.

Hardison watched her go, then dropped to the grass next to Eliot. "I'm sorry, El."

"Sorry for what? We saved the day. Hell, we saved the world." The hitter smiled a little. "Age of the geek."

"You got shot."

"Not your fault." Eliot shifted and a wave of pain shot through him. He gritted his teeth, riding it out. "I don't think I can handle a plane ride home, though. We'll have to get a hotel for a few days."

"All right." Hardison stared at the ground. "Anything I can do for you now?"

"Not unless you have some morphine in your pocket."

"Can't help you there." Hardison got to his feet. "What's taking that woman so long?"

"It's only been a couple of minutes. Relax." Eliot closed his eyes again.

Hardison started pacing. "Can't, man. I don't see how you can be so calm. It's one thing to take getting shot so lightly but…" He took a closer look at Eliot. The hitter was very pale now, drops of sweat standing out on his face, and Hardison knelt next to his friend. "Man, you don't look good."

"I'll be all right." Eliot opened his eyes. "What's really eating you, Hardison?"

The hacker swallowed hard. "I can't stop thinking about it…Parker took off with the briefcase and I went after her…" He couldn't bear to look at his friend. "I should have gone to help you. I saw you were down, and all that blood…" Hardison's voice was shaking. "You could have been dying, Eliot, and I left you…"

The hitter listened patiently, then said softly, "You know how I said I wasn't scared because I had you and Parker? And that you were the smartest man I ever met?" He paused until Hardison looked up and met his eyes. "You're also one of the best men I ever met. And about the best friend I've ever had. Don't worry about going to Parker. Hell, if I had somebody I loved as much as you love her, I'd probably have done the same thing." Eliot held out his good hand and after a moment, Hardison slapped it twice and did a fist bump. "We good now?"

"Yeah." Hardison stood up again. "Wish Parker would hurry."

"I hurried as fast as I could." The blonde thief stepped out from behind the tree and handed Eliot a bottle of water.

"Thanks." He gulped it down, gave the empty bottle to Parker, and held out his good hand to Hardison. "Let's go."

The hacker gripped Eliot's hand and pulled him to his feet, then gave him a worried look. "You sure you can make it?"

Eliot's eyes were glazed and he was paler than before, but he smiled at Hardison. "Long as you got me."

"I got you." Hardison smiled back.

"So do I." Parker gently supported Eliot on the other side. "And I got a real nice car. A big Lincoln town car with special plates."

"Like what kind of special plates, mama?" asked Hardison.

"Oh, like the kind a senator has," said Parker airily. The two men stared at her. "What? We just need it to get to the hotel. I took a suite at the Sheraton."

Hardison shook his head as they set off. "You're gonna get us all busted, Parker. I'm gonna be in one cell, you're gonna be in another cell, poor Eliot here is gonna be in some prison ward with some fat ugly nurse waking him up to give him sleeping pills…" He grumbled all the way to the car, stopping only to help Eliot stretch out on the back seat. "You feel okay, Eliot?" The hitter nodded, then smiled to himself as Hardison snapped at Parker, "Oh, no. You ain't driving. Just get over on the passenger side. Eliot don't need to get thrown around. Way you drive we'll all be dead by the time we get there…" He started the car and drove slowly down the street.

"Hardison, you're only going twenty miles an hour! The hotel is only going to hold the reservation until nine o'clock tonight."

"Woman, it ain't even dark yet! Don't tell me how to drive when we got a wounded man in the back seat. And keep your voice down!"

Eliot was still thirsty from blood loss and there was an enormous ache in his body competing with the sharper pain of the bullet wounds, but the sound of Hardison and Parker bickering was very reassuring. He was starting to feel very drowsy, and he drifted off to sleep feeling warm, and safe, and loved.


End file.
